Pre-creased sheet metal coil stock

ABSTRACT

A stock sheet metal coil is pre-creased such that upon removal of sheet metal from the coil, the resulting sheet metal strip may be easily and accurately bent or formed along the crease, forming flashing, ducting, or like structures of consistent straightness in any desired length up to the length of the coil. For flashing, the crease is typically formed centrally, between the two ends of the coiled sheet metal to form a flashing of the appropriate angle. Multiple creases may be provided to allow the accurate forming of other structures, such as sluices, gutters, or ducts or conduits in any desired length, reducing connections. Accurate forming may be done at the job site by hand bending at a bead or hand pressing over a wooden block or metal base.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to sheet metal coil stock. More particularly, the present invention relates to pre-creased sheet metal coil stock useful for the forming of flashing for roofs, conduits, and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

Sheet metal stock for forming structures, particularly structures related to roofing such as flashing, is normally supplied in coils. The roofer must bend the sheet metal stock, normally along the centerline, to form a flashing of the desired angle. Presses are common for bending the sheet metal stock in a particular length within the capacity of the press. It is common to have a requirement for flashing of a greater length than that reasonably supplied by a press. The use of such a press or, in its place, a makeshift form, results in flashing of insufficient length or ill-fitting asymmetric flashing where the bend is not centered and the apex of the bend is not straight.

It would be desirable to provide a coiled sheet metal stock which may be easily and accurately bent or formed in any desired length, minimizing joints. It would also be desirable to provide such sheet metal stock which may be easily bent to accurately to a desired angle to produce flashing or ducts.

Thus a stock sheet metal coil solving the aforementioned problems is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The stock sheet metal coil of the present invention is pre-creased such that upon removal of sheet metal from the coil, the resulting sheet metal strip may be easily and accurately bent or formed along the crease, forming flashing, ducting, or like structures of consistent straightness in any desired length up to the length of the coil. For flashing, the crease is typically formed centrally, between the upper and lower ends of the coiled sheet metal to form a flashing of the appropriate angle. Multiple creases may be provided to allow the accurate forming of other structures, such as sluices, gutters, or ducts or conduits in any desired length. Accurate forming may be done at the job site by hand bending at a crease or hand pressing over a wooden block or metal base.

It is an aspect of the invention to provide improved elements for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.

These and other aspects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coil of pre-creased sheet metal stock according to the present invention.

FIG. 2A is an end perspective view of the uncoiled sheet metal stock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2B is a detail view of a “V”-shaped crease useful in the pre-creased sheet metal stock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2C is a detail view of a “U”-shaped crease useful in the pre-creased sheet metal stock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of piece of flashing formed at a desired angle by the bending of the pre-creased sheet metal stock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a right-angle bend article formed by the bending of the pre-creased sheet metal stock of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a coil of pre-creased sheet metal stock similar to that of FIG. 1, having multiple parallel creases according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an end perspective view of the uncoiled sheet metal stock of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an end perspective view of a sluice or channel formed by bending the pre-creased sheet metal stock of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is an end perspective view of a double channel or the like formed by bending the pre-creased sheet metal stock of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a coil of pre-creased sheet metal stock similar to that of FIG. 2, having multiple parallel creases for forming a conduit or duct.

FIG. 10 is an end perspective view of the uncoiled sheet metal stock of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is an end perspective view of a conduit or duct formed by bending the pre-creased sheet metal stock of FIG. 9.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention is a pre-creased, stock sheet metal coil useful for accurately making flashing for roofing, channels, ducts or conduits, and the like on the job site having any desired length within the length of the coil stock, minimizing joints.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4, there are shown a perspective view of a pre-creased stock sheet metal coil, a perspective end view of sheet metal from the coil stock, detail views of a “V”-shape and a “U”-shape crease useful in the present invention, and examples of angled and right angled flashing, respectively, according to the present invention. The coil is shown as spaced for illustration purposes, but would form a tight coil or roll in practice. Pre-creased flashing stock sheet metal coil 10 has a sidewall 12, upper end 14, and lower end 16 and defines a central axis. The coil stock has an inner edge 18 and an outer edge 20. The coil sheet metal stock plays out for use at outer edge 20, unwinding until the inner edge 18 is reached.

Stock sheet metal coil 10 has a crease 22 located halfway between upper end 14 and lower end 16 extending from coil inner edge 18 to coil outer edge 20. As seen in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the crease may conveniently be “V”-shaped or “U”-shaped as desired. The size of the crease is small compared to the overall sidewall 12. The length of stock required is played from the roll and hand bent or pressed over a length of board or pipe to the desired angle. The presence of the crease enhances the ease and accuracy of the bending or pressing operation at the job site. FIG. 3 shows a flashing channel 28 having an obtuse angle bend 24 and having opposing sides 30. FIG. 4 shows a right angle member 32 having a right angle bend 26 and opposing right angle sides 34.

Any number of creases may be made in the sheet metal stock as desired, depending on the shape of the desired resulting product. Referring to FIGS. 5-8, there is shown a multi-creased sheet metal stock coil 40, having a sidewall 42, an upper end 44, a lower end 46 a coil inner edge 48 and an outer edge 50 and defining a central axis. As shown, a center crease 52 has outer creases 54 spaced above and below center crease 52. Center crease 52 is creased inward relative to the coil 40 while outer creases 54 are creased outward. As seen in FIGS. 6 and 7 a sluice or channel 60 may be fashioned by bending only along outer creases 54. The channel 60 is thus made up of lower wall 56 and sidewalls 58 formed by forming right angles 64 at creases 54 by bending.

Referring to FIG. 8, the same multi-creased sheet metal stock coil 40 may be employed to form a double “V”-shaped channel 70 with outer spaced creases 54 being employed to form obtuse angles 66 and having outer walls 58 and inner walls 56 leading to central peak angle 68 of double channel 70.

Referring to FIG. 9, there is shown a multi-creased sheet metal stock coil 80 for fashioning ducts or conduits. Sheet metal stock coil 80 has a sidewall 82, an upper edge 84 and a lower edge 86 and having a central axis. Coil 80 has an inner edge 88 and an outer edge 90 from which a desired length of sheet metal is played out to form a flat portion for forming as seen in FIG. 10. Sheet metal stock coil 80 has three equally spaced creases 92 spaced downward from the upper edge 84 and an overlap crease 94 spaced upward from the lower edge 86.

Referring to FIG. 10, there is shown a flat end portion of metal stock coil 80 arranged for bending into a duct or conduit 102 as shown in FIG. 11. As seen in FIG. 11, the sheet metal stock is bent at each spaced crease 92 at a right angle to form a duct or conduit 102 having a bottom wall 96, sidewalls 98 and a top wall 100. An overlap 101 is made at edge 84 by bending the stock at a right angle at overlap bend 94, the resulting overlap 101 extending downward along sidewall 98 ending in edge 86. The overlap 101 allows for securing upper wall 100 to sidewall 98 by any conventional means such as welding or riveting (rivets not shown). The ducts or conduits may be formed having rectangular or square cross sections by choosing the spacing of creases 92.

The creases in the sheet metal stock coils of the present invention may be made by running sheet metal stock through a roll bending machine having a die for imparting creases or ridges to a length of sheet metal as it passes through the machine, such as that of U.S. Pat. No. 6,751,995 B1, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. The sheet metal strip bearing the creases may then be rolled into coil stock according to the present invention.

Any type of sheet metal suitable for forming flashing, conduits, or ducts is useful in the present invention including aluminum, copper, or steel.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. 

1. Pre-creased sheet metal coil stock having an upper end, a lower end, an inner end and an outer end, and defining a central axis, said coil stock defining at least one crease therein, each said crease being spaced from said upper end, and extending the length of said sheet metal coil between said inner end and said outer end and perpendicular to said central axis.
 2. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 1, wherein said coil stock defines a single crease centrally located and equally spaced between said upper end and said lower end of said coil stock.
 3. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 2, wherein said crease is one of a “U”-shaped crease and a “V”-shaped crease.
 4. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 1, wherein said coil stock defines a plurality of creases spaced between said upper end and said lower end of said coil stock.
 5. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 4, wherein said plurality of creases includes at least one of a “U”-shaped crease and at least one of a “V”-shaped crease.
 6. The pre-creased sheet metal coil stock of claim 5, wherein said plurality of creases includes at least one of an outward crease and an inward crease.
 7. A pre-creased sheet metal flashing coil stock having an upper end, a lower end, an inner end and an outer end, and defining a central axis, said coil stock defining a single crease centrally located and equally spaced between said upper end and said lower end of said coil stock, said crease being spaced from said upper end, and extending the length of said sheet metal coil between said inner end and said outer end and perpendicular to said central axis.
 8. The pre-creased sheet metal flashing coil stock of claim 7, wherein said crease is one of a “U”-shaped crease and a “V”-shaped crease.
 9. A pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock having an upper end, a lower end, an inner end and an outer end, and defining a central axis, said coil stock defining at least three spaced creases, each said crease being spaced from said upper end, and extending the length of said sheet metal coil between said inner end and said outer end and perpendicular to said central axis.
 10. A pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock wherein said spaced creases are spaced so as to form a rectangular conduit or duct upon bending of said coil stock along said spaced creases.
 11. The pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock of claim 10, said coil stock defining an overlap crease spaced from one of said upper end and said lower end and parallel with said at least three spaced crease for forming an overlap upon bending of said coil stock along said spaced creases and along said overlap crease.
 12. The pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock of claim 11, wherein said three spaced creases are equally spaced from one of said upper end and said lower end of said coil stock and said overlap crease being spaced from the other of said upper end and said lower end so as to form a square conduit or duct upon bending along said spaced creases and said overlap crease.
 13. The pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock of claim 12, wherein each of said equally spaced creases and said overlap crease are each defined as an outward crease.
 14. The pre-creased sheet metal conduit or duct coil stock of claim 12, wherein each of said equally spaced creases and said overlap crease are each defined as an inward crease. 